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The Council on Accreditation is a 501(c)(3)[1] nonprofit organization founded in 1977 which provides accreditation for human service organizations, including child and family services and behavioral healthcare.

Overview

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The Council on Accreditation accredits human service organizations, including child- and family-service, behavioral healthcare,[2] and debt counseling agencies.[3]

COA accredits a wide variety of human service activities[4]

Similar accrediting organizations include the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), the Joint Commission (TJC), Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), and the Utilization Review Accreditation Commission (URAC).[2][5]

The Council on Accreditation (COA) develops standards and guidelines for the accreditation of services delivered by behavioral health and social service agencies. The accreditation process is designed to assist agencies in implementing organizational structures (i.e. financial management), and processes of care (i.e. case-management) that will help them achieve better results in all areas, and ultimately improve the well-being of their clients. Organizations use their accredited status to demonstrate accountability to clients, funders and donors.

— David Haynik of COA[6]

It is based in New York City.[7]

History

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COA was founded in 1977[8][4] by the Child Welfare League of America[9] through a grant from the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare with the goal of improving the quality of child welfare services.[5]

It originally accredited only child welfare programs[8] They began to accredit organizations performing a broader variety of services in 1987, including those who managed employee assistance programs. In 1999, EASNA and COA made an agreement where COA would administer EASNAs accreditation for a variety of internal and external EAPs.[10]

In 2000, Illinois was the first state to accredit its entire child welfare system, and was followed by Kentucky in 2002, Louisiana in 2003, Arkansas in 2004. Washington state was in process. Ohio Department of Job and Family Services sought accreditation for each of its 88 county offices.[4] COA is the only organization which accredits public child welfare systems.[4]

As of 2017, four state social service agencies are accredited[11]

In October 2017, commentators expressed astonishment that the Kentucky Department for Community Based Services was able to renew its COA accreditation after receiving very poor evaluations of its child protective services from both a Kentucky state legislature committee and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.[11][9] Kentucky child protection services worker average caseloads have ranged from 25-32 cases per worker, far higher than COA's recommended maximum of 15.[11][12] Even outside of Kentucky, this recommendation is widely ignored.[12]

Recognition

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COA is the only national accreditor designated by the U.S. Department of Defense to develop accreditation standards and processes for human service programs provided to military personnel and their families[13]

Is recognized many state laws[14] "Some states and localities give preference to accredited agencies in distributing contracts and funding for child and family services."[15]

It is recognized by the federal government in the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2016 as an accreditor of residential treatment programs for children and youth.[16]


Procedures

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The process of going through accreditation is a process of learning and adopting best practices in client care and organizational management.[17] COA's accreditation process reviews "buildings, safety, training, ethics, personnel administration"[11]

COA provides information on best practices and technical assistance throughout the accreditation process to aid organizations in achieving accreditation. COA usually gives noncompliant organizations time to resolve accreditation compliance issues.[18]

COA's accreditation standards are established in consultation with advocacy groups, academic scholars, and policy makers.[17][19]

Context

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Motivations for accreditation

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reasons organizations pursue COA accreditation: "policies that require accreditation, wanting to assert their positions in the field, and the need to increase funding opportunities. Other factors were internal, related to agency leadership using accreditation as a platform for change and agencies' genuine intent to improve services".[20]

accreditation is often pursued in response to lawsuits to support improved practices[21][17]

Impact of accreditation

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COAs goal continues to be quality improvement.[22]

A 2003 GAO report found that accredited child welfare agencies are able to recruit and retain higher quality staff.[17]

A qualitative study of social and behavioral services programs accredited by the Council on Accreditation found that accredited programs performed better than non-accredited programs in areas of risk management practices, performance evaluation, and corrective action practices. No differences were found in the other seven performance domains studied.

Based on a matched comparison of accredited and nonaccredited programs, accredited programs performed better in areas of risk management practices, performance evaluation, and corrective action practices. No differences were found in internal quality monitoring, stakeholder participation, case record review, outcomes measurement, consumer satisfaction, personnel satisfaction, and other service-specific processes.[23][24]

A study by HHS OIG in 1994 found no conclusive evidence about the impact of accreditation on agency operations and quality. Opinions about impact of accreditation varied: some felt that accreditation led to improvements in service, others felt no impact.[25]

Advocacy

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The have occasionally been involved in advocacy for the charity field.[26]

International adoption

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See also: International adoption § United States


Since about 2009,[specify] COA had been the only active organization in America accrediting international adoption agencies.[27]>[28] In November 2017, they announced they would be discontinuing this role after public disputes with the U.S Department of State.[28] Several major adoption agencies expressed dismay at the announcement because they respected COA's work.[28]

The State Department claimed that the new rules were merely addressing aspects of the 2008 Hague Adoption Convention that had been neglected and unenforced.[27]

The Council on Accreditation (COA) protested that the US State Department was requiring “significant changes” that would likely reduce the already record-low number of intercountry adoptions, put small adoption providers out of business, and prohibit prospective parents from pursuing such adoptions.

— Zylstra[27]

2008 fraud case

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In 2008, a scandal ensued when a defunct but COA-accredited agency was bought solely for its accreditation status and proceeded to file false reports to COA.[29][30][31] Three people were convicted of Accreditation Fraud and conspiring to defraud the United States.[32]


  • Stoparic, Bojana (2005). "Agencies Look to Accreditation for Accountability and Change". Policy & Practice. 63 (1): 24-27. ISSN 1942-6828.


References

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  1. ^ PKF O’Connor Davies (17 June 2019). "Council on Accreditation for Children and Family Services, Inc. financial statements December 31, 2018 and 2017". p. 9.
  2. ^ a b Ringquist, Linda (1 Oct 2013). "The Big Five Healthcare Accreditation Organizations: Side by Side Comparison" (PDF). BHM Healthcare Solutions. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  3. ^ Mays, Glen P. (2004), Can accreditation work in public health? Lessons from other service industries, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences / Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, p. 3
  4. ^ a b c d Stoparic 2005, p. 24.
  5. ^ a b Mays 2004, p. 6.
  6. ^ Haynik, David (11 April 2017). "Help! What Are the Differences Between Accreditation, Licensing and Certification?". Interpretation: Council on Accreditation Blog. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  7. ^ "Contact". Council on Accreditation. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  8. ^ a b Haaz, Edward J.; Maynard, John; Petrica, Stephen C.; Williams, Charles E. (2014). "Employeee assistance program accreditation: History and outlook". In Maiden, R.P. (ed.). Accreditation of Employee Assistance Programs. Taylor & Francis. p. 19. ISBN 978-1-317-95514-6.
  9. ^ a b "Foster care and family preservation in Kentucky: The ugly side of a fully-"accredited" agency". NCCPR Child Welfare Blog. 18 February 2010. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  10. ^ Haaz et al. 2014, p. 20.
  11. ^ a b c d Yetter, Deborah (26 October 2017). "Conditions are dire within Kentucky's child welfare system. It was re-accredited anyway". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  12. ^ a b Yamatani, H.; Engel, R.; Spjeldnes, S. (1 September 2009). "Child welfare worker caseload: What's just right?" (PDF). Social Work. 54 (4). Oxford University Press (OUP): 362. doi:10.1093/sw/54.4.361. ISSN 0037-8046. PMID 19780466.
  13. ^ https://www.mitchellrepublic.com/news/3775419-abbott-house-earns-four-year-re-accreditation
  14. ^ https://www.jointcommission.org/state_recognition/state_recognition_details.aspx
  15. ^ Mays 2004, p. 11.
  16. ^ Kelly, John (14 February 2018). "CliffsNotes on Family First Act, Part Two: Limiting Support for Congregate Foster Care". The Chronicle of Social Change. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  17. ^ a b c d Stoparic 2005, p. 25.
  18. ^ Stockert, Timothy J. (2014). "The Council on Accreditation employee assistance program accreditation process". In Maiden, R.P. (ed.). Accreditation of Employee Assistance Programs. Taylor & Francis. p. 36. ISBN 978-1-317-95514-6., also published as Stockert, Timothy J. (2003–2004). "The Council on Accreditation Employee Assistance Program Accreditation Process". Employee Assistance Quarterly. 19 (1). The Haworth Press: 35–44. doi:10.1300/j022v19n01_03. ISSN 0749-0003. S2CID 218496639.
  19. ^ http://www.prweb.com/releases/2018/02/prweb15159462.htm
  20. ^ Lee, Madeline Y. (13 January 2014). "Motivations to Pursue Accreditation in Children's Mental Health Care: A Multiple Case Study". Nonprofit Management and Leadership. 24 (3). Wiley-Blackwell: 399–415. doi:10.1002/nml.21098. ISSN 1048-6682.
  21. ^ Uma Ahluwalia (2012). "Perspectives of a Child Welfare Administrator: Managing Change While Under a Consent Decree/Court Order". In Meltzer, Judith; Joseph, Rachel Molly; Shookhoff, Andy (eds.). For the Welfare of Children: Lessons Learned from Class Action Litigation (PDF). Washington, DC: Center for the Study of Social Policy. p. 121.
  22. ^ Cerqueira, Marcos (2006). "A literature review on the benefits, challenges and trends in accreditation as a quality assurance system" (PDF). Vancouver, Canada: British Columbia Ministry of Children and Family Development. p. 45f. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
  23. ^ Pietrass, J. (2004), The impact of accreditation on organizational functioning and performance, New York: Council on Accreditation
  24. ^ Mays 2004, p. 17f.
  25. ^ Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Accreditation of Public Child Welfare Agencies. Washington, DC: USDHHS; 1994. OEI-04- 94-0010
  26. ^ https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2008/Testimony/SB2968_JDL-CPH_02-13-08_.pdf
  27. ^ a b c Zylstra, Sarah Eekhoff (21 December 2017). "Why the US Thinks Restricting International Adoptions Will Save Them". Christianity Today. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
  28. ^ a b c Crary, David (16 February 2018). "Parents adopting children to see higher fees, new rules". Spokesman.com. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  29. ^ United States of America v. Mary Mooney (District Court Of The United States For The District Of South Carolina Beaufort Division 6 May 2016), Text.
  30. ^ French, Angela (22 September 2017). "Diplomacy and Law Enforcement Unite to Dismantle Major International Adoption Fraud Scheme". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  31. ^ "Former Executive Director of Adoption Agency Pleads Guilty to Submitting False Information to Accreditation Agency". Department of Justice. 15 January 2015. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  32. ^ "Founder, CEO, and Employee of International Adoption Guides (IAG) Sentenced for Adoption Fraud Schemes". Department of Justice. 14 August 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2018.

Further reading

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"Policies That Support Professional Development in an Era of Reform". Phi Delta Kappan. 76 (8): 597–604. April 1995.

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Category:Accreditation Category:Non-profit organizations based in New York City Category:Organizations established in 1977 Category:Quality assurance organizations Category:Social work organizations in the United States

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